PRINCESS ANNE, Md. -
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Department of Athletics is pleased to announce that it has chosen its 2012 Hall of Fame class. The class will be enshrined during Homecoming weekend in a ceremony to be held, Friday, February 24, 2012 in the ballroom of the Richard A. Henson Center on campus.

With the induction of the 10 new members, the UMES Athletics Hall of Fame will have 199 total members. The newest class includes five former student-athletes and five administrators, the latter being honored in conjunction with the 125th anniversary ceremony.

The most successful coach in Hawk history, Sharon Brummell is set to be honored, while longtime faculty representative Dr. Henry Brooks and former athletic director, Nelson Townsend, will be distinguished as well.

A total of five former student-athletes will receive the ultimate distinction from UMES as hardwood greats, Robert Kearney and William Gordon III, join the list. Former pitching ace, Gorman Johnson, will be honored as will golfer, Fred Engh.

Brooks has been a tireless worker for the athletic department over the years, as he has used his superb leadership and vision to bring together Hawks athletics since 1989. He is a part of several committees at UMES, including the President's Athletic Advisory Committee and the Student Athletic Financial Aid Committee. He is also the former president of the MEAC Delegate Assembly and stands on seven MEAC committees.

Brooks is the longest serving faculty member at UMES and he is a representative for the MEAC. He has had influence with every student-athlete to don a Hawks uniform as he administers NCAA student-athlete surveys and reviews the student-athlete's initial and continuing eligibility. The Tallahassee, Fla. native has been in charge of exit interviews and meets with student-athletes during campus visits.

Brooks holds several credentials on the national level as well. Since 2010, he has been the president of the NCAA Division I Committee of Athletic Certification and has conducted 16 reviews as a NCAA Division I Peer Review Team Member. In his 23-year tenure at UMES, he has seen five presidents, four athletic directors and three MEAC commissioners.

Brummell, who recently retired as from her position as the women's bowling coach, will forever be known nationwide as one of the most successful coaches in women's bowling history, as she amassed over 800 NCAA wins in her 14-year tenure. Since 2007, Brummell has won 82 percent of her matches and posted almost 600 wins in that span.

Brummell guided UMES to a national championship in 2008, which proved to be the first women's title from a Historically Black College or University. The title also distinguished her as the first African-American and first woman to coach a National Championship bowling team. She finished her career with the Hawks as a two-time National Coach of the Year recipient. She added two more national championships to her resume when she guided the Hawks to both the NCAA and USBC Collegiate National titles in 2011.

She has held several positions at UMES, including the Associate Athletic Director of Budgeting and Fiscal Operations and a Senior Woman Administrator. The Salisbury, Md., native was a five-time MEAC Coach of the Year and has served on the NCAA National Committee for women's bowling. She received the bronze level USA Bowling Certification and is a member of the NCBCA and the National Tenpins Coaching Association. She was honored in October of 2011 with the naming of the Sharon D, Brummell Bowling Lanes, on campus.

Archie Buffkins - Chancellor

Buffkins was the chancellor of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore from 1971-75. During his time as a Hawk, he brought a passion for performing arts and a belief in cultural diversity that helped erect several noteworthy establishments still seen on campus.

Buffkins oversaw UMES' switch from Maryland State College (MSC) to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 1970. He was also in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's inaugural Hall of Fame Class in 1981 and was one of the founding fathers of its incorporation.

He spent four years as the President of UMES. Buffkins was inspiration in the foundation of the MEAC, now the nation's premier Division I conference for Historically Black Colleges.

Clarence Clemons - Football

Clemons was a dual talent for Maryland State College in the 1960s. He came to MSC on a football and music scholarship, both which he succeeded at. He played music throughout college but put together a solid enough collegiate football career to enable him to receive a tryout with the Cleveland Browns.

The well-liked gridiron star came to Maryland State as an offensive lineman and paved the way for many Hawk running backs, including NFL star Emerson Boozer '66. He would turn to his love of music following a devastating injury that would ultimately end his football career.

Clemons went on to become a member of Bruce Springsteen's E-Street band for over 30 years; while performing with many other legendary musicians.

Fred Engh - Men's Golf

Engh was one of the leading student-athletes in breaking the color barrier at Maryland State College as he was the only white member of an all-black golf team in the early 1960s. His career holds much value to the institution, as he was both a phenomenal golfer and a person who revolutionized collegiate golfing.

Golf was a very segregated sport in the 1960s, but it did not stop his ability to team up with Bob Taylor '61, to form one of the most dynamic one-two golf punches in collegiate golf. The pair teamed up to create a championship golf team in 1961. That season, Engh helped the Hawks win the CIAA and NAIA District 31 championship.

Following his graduation from Maryland State, he went on to serve as a youth sports pioneer and has created initiatives such as the National Alliance for Youth Sports, International Alliance for Youth Sports, Global Gear Drive and Hook a Kid on Golf. The Ocean City, Md., native was featured in a profile on The Golf Channel, where a segment was done on his decision to be a student-athlete at MSC and how it affected his life.

William Gordon III - Men's Basketball

Gordon played three seasons with the UMES men's basketball squad from 1971-74. In those years, he played 91 games and scored over 1,200 points (14 ppg). He was drafted in the fourth round (No. 62) of the 1974 National Basketball Association draft by Seattle and stands as one of nine student-athletes to play professional basketball at UMES. As a professional, he played two seasons and won the Continental Basketball Association title in 1975.

"Billy G" provided one of the best single-season performances in the history of UMES athletics in 1974. His performance was nothing short of legendary, as Gordon was the driving force that pushed the program to a MEAC title and its first National Invitational Tournament berth. Gordon served as a central piece in the Hawks' NIT first-round win over Manhattan College.

In the 1973-74 season, he paced the team to a 26-1 regular-season record as he was named to the Baltimore Sun All-State team, honored as the Outstanding Player of the 1974 College All-Star game and received the NAIA Certificate of Merit. He collected numerous awards throughout his career, including being named "Player of the Game" in the Hawks' NIT contest against Jacksonville University and served as a member of the first Historically Black College to make the NIT.

William P. Hytche - President

Hytche leaves one of the greatest legacies in the history of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The Tulsa, Okla., native dedicated his life to the institution and marveled colleagues at his resolve, tenacity and political savvy in navigating legislative sessions and budget hearings that often tested the strongest of men.

During his tenure, Hytche oversaw UMES' transition from NAIA to NCAA Division I; and is also a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.

The highly educated Hytche was originally known as chief executive and chancellor, but a 1988 state law that realigned Maryland's public college system changed his status to President. He spent 36 years working for the University, 21 of which were as the top administrator. He seized every opportunity to make the institution a better place and was rewarded with having the William P. Hytche Athletic Center named after him in 1996.

Gorman Johnson - Baseball

Johnson, known as "Ju-Ju" by many Hawk alumni, was a baseball student-athlete for UMES from 1966-69. He served as the ace of several Hawk pitching staffs and was undefeated on the mound in his first two seasons with the institution.

He propelled two Hawk baseball teams to Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles in 1966 and 1967. Johnson has been long remembered as the individual who threw both ends of a double-header in 1969. He was a workhorse for UMES during his career as he led the squad in innings pitched and wins in all four seasons as a Hawk.

Robert Kearney - Men's Basketball

Kearney was a four-year varsity basketball letterman for UMES from 1968-72. His career with the Hawks saw him amass 1,656 total points across those four years, including a Hawk single-season record of 683 points (25.2 ppg) as a junior in 1971.

He was one of a select few Hawk student-athletes that had the opportunity to participate in both the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference during their career. A two year co-captain his final two seasons, Kearney helped the Hawks to a 27-5 record and a berth into the NAIA finals as a freshman, before propelling UMES to a 29-2 record as a sophomore in 1970.

His career with the Hawks concluded with a fine senior season, where he averaged 18.1 ppg. Kearney will go down as one of the most successful basketball student-athletes in program history.

Nelson Townsend - Athletic Director

Townsend served as the Director of Athletics of UMES twice over his career as he held the position from 1976-79 and then again from 2003-05. In his last season as a Hawk, the UMES bowling team captured its second MEAC Championship, which proved to be the starting point towards the three national championships eventually captured by the squad. The Horntown, Va., native has held the distinction of an Athletic Director at four different institutions and has accumulated over 30 years of work in the field.

Townsend has been a respected figured in many different sports and education circles and has been involved on the state, national and international levels. He held significant leadership roles in intercollegiate athletics, international sports and even at the level of Olympic administration.

He served as the decisive piece in bringing in several noteworthy coaches during his tenure as a Hawk, including the hiring of Fred Batchelor and Alex Temkin. Townsend graduated from MSC in 1962.

Tickets can be purchased for the Hall of Fame banquet by calling the UMES Athletic Office at 410-651-6496 or online by clicking here.